The present invention relates to a recorder having a feed member and a take-up member positioned under stretched recording paper extended about a supporting member having a curved surface and a roller, having the recording paper drawn out of a paper roll mounted on the feed member and passed over the supporting member, the roller and wound on the take-up member, and having at least one recording means moving across the width of the recording paper which is moved progressively lengthwise in a direction perpendicular to the direction of recording means scan. Particularly, it relates to a recorder which simultaneously displaces the supporting member and the roller to uncover the feed member and the take-up member so that easy access to the feed and take-up members is attained from an above direction of the extended recording paper, and hence a used paper roll can be easily replaced with a new one.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained as embodied in the recorder utilized in an underwater detection system as an echo sounder, although the invention is not limited to that particular system.
Such a recorder as shown in FIG. 1 has been proposed and widely used in echo sounding systems.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a stylus assembly 1 comprises a conducting piece fastened to an endless belt 2, a recording stylus 3 fixed to one end of the conducting piece and a collector stylus 3 fixed to the other end thereof. The collector stylus 4 slides on a contact rail 5 to which received echo signals are applied, while the recording stylus 3 moves across the width of electrically sensitive recording paper 6 which is moved progressively lengthwise in a direction perpendicular to the direction of stylus scan. The endless belt 2 is extended about a driving pulley 7 and a driven pulley 8, and is driven at uniform speed by the motor through the reduction gear mechanism both contained in a box 9, a driving shaft 10 and the driving pulley 7. Thus, the recording stylus 3 repeatedly moves across the recording paper 6 in synchronism with the sequence of the sonar signals transmitted in the water, so that a profile of the bottom of the sea and fish schools, etc., are recorded on the paper 6. A pulling roller 12 is rotatably supported by vertical support plates 11, 11' which stand parallel with each other, and driven to rotate by the motor through the gear mechanism contained in the box 9. A pressing roller 13 is rotatably maintained by the vertical plates 11, 11' and is adapted to press the recording paper against the pulling roller 12. A cover plate 15 is horizontally maintained between the plates 11, 11' and can be turned up around the axis of the pulling roller 12 in the direction of an arrow A, and can be held vertical as shown in FIG. 2. A sending roller 18 is rotatably supported by the plate 15 at a right-hand end thereof. Two pairs of suspension plates 19, 19' are respectively fixed to the plate thereunder at appropriate places distanced apart from one another. A feed reel 20 and a take-up reel 14 are respectively rotatably and demountably supported by the pairs of the suspension plates 19, 19'. The recording paper 6 is drawn out of the paper roll mounted on the feed reel 20 over the sending roller 18 and the cover plate 15, and passed between the pulling and pressing rollers 12, 13 and wound on the take-up reel 14. Thus, in order to get a wide view of the underwater conditions recorded on the extended recording paper, the feed reel 20 and take-up reel 14 are arranged to be underneath the recording paper extended about the sending and pulling rollers 18, 12 so that the sending and pulling rollers are positioned as distantly as possible from one another.
When desiring to replace a used paper roll with a new one, or desiring to set a new paper roll on the feed reel 20 positioned under the cover plate 15, the plate 15 must be turned up about the axis of the pulling roller 12 and held vertically as shown in FIG. 2. The feed reel 20 is taken out from a right-hand direction, and re-installed in the pair of suspension plates 19' after a new paper roll is mounted thereon. The end of the recording paper is then drawn out of the new paper roll over the sending roller 18 and the cover plate 15, passed between the pulling and pressing rollers 12, 13, and fixed to the take-up reel 14. The cover plate 15 is turned in a clockwise direction so that the recorder is restored to a normal writing operational mode.
As is easily understood, it is troublesome to approach both the feed and take-up reels 20, 14 from a lateral direction (not from an above direction), to pass the end of the recording paper drawn out of the paper roll mounted on the feed reel 20 between the pulling and pressing rollers 12, 13 narrowly spaced therebetween, and to engage the end of the paper to the take-up reel from the lateral direction. Further, it should be noted that the recording paper must be handled on both sides of the erected cover plate 15.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a recorder having the feed member and the take-up member positioned under extended recording paper in which new recording paper can easily be set in place therein.
Another object of the invention is to provide a recorder in which new recording paper can be settled therein from only one direction.
Another object of the invention is to provide a recorder in which new recording paper can be settled therein from an above direction of extended recording paper.
Another object of the invention is to provide a recorder in which sending and pulling rollers are simultaneously displaced to uncover a feed member and a take-up member by merely raising or lowering the lug connected to a cover plate.
Another object of the invention is to provide a recorder in which the distance between pulling and pressing rollers is considerably increased so that recording paper can be easily passed therebetween.
Another object of the invention is to provide a recorder in which a feed member and a take-up member are brought up above the case of the recorder and exposed.